So was it worth it?

Yesterday was grocery day. I know that no matter where you are, grocery shopping borders on torturous. So I decided to put a little joy back in your grocery day, even if it is at MY expense.

My first option for groceries is Lake city (for those of you that have experienced our country store, you may go ahead and skip to option 2). Food is probably at least twice the price as option 2 grocery store. I will give you an example. On thursday, I needed 2 sticks of glue for VBS and bought them at the country store for $2. Yesterday I bought the same ones for $.20. A box of cereal is around $5-$6. The country store is also our meat market, local gun emporium, tax services, movie rental and girl scout cookie distributer. ( I am sure I missed one or two things) It contains 5 isles that prove to be a problem if you would happen to be in the store at the same time as anyone else. Similar to the 4X4 jeep, shelf roads we have around here, one party must back up until they reach a "safe" place to turn around. This will first include an attempt to go around one another (especially if the other party is a tourist, who seems to find this amusing), in which turning your cart sideways only empties the contents of your basket, including any children you may have inside. If the store posted "one way" signs, this encounter could be avoided outside of tourist season. Needless to say, the country store is only an option when you are snowed into Lake City or you are on your way to the church potluck your husband neglected to tell you about. Let me note that option 1 is not always even an option being 20 minutes a way. Usually you call all of your neighbors first, to raid their pantries.

Option 2 is Gunnison. It has a great City Market and the Nations smallest Walmart. An simple shout in our Walmart and you can get the attention of a person on the complete opposite end of the store. And you can most likely even carry on a converstion from that distance. If you actually find what you are looking for, you will probably only have one or two choices. Non of those fun, Target look alike items. Just the plain white or black basics. I do understand what a Super Walmart does to small town, because I shop for most thing in the downtown boutiques. Now, City Market proves to have most of what I need except the prices I want. It is also a hour and a half drive (one way) over 2 mountain passes. Despite the drive, most of our shopping is done in Gunnison. Always a full day.

Option 3. Montrose. 2 hours away and 4 mountain passes later, we arrive in a normal size town. This town offers all I need (not all I want) in a super Walmart, Home Depot, cold stone creamery, Chilis, Starbucks, Papa Murphys and coming soon... a Target and JC Penneys!!! Beth, it is finally happening!!!! Now I know you are wondering why I don't go there all of the time instead of messing with Gunnison. At least that is what I ask myself this question all of the time. But it is an extra hour and a half round trip. And, if you thought that Gunnison was an all day trip, Montrose is a marathon. To actually accomplish all of the little stops, in a town that believes every corner needs a stop light, is a talent in it's self. You can go and hit Walmart for one stop shopping, Chilis and Home Depot across the street, But the question is, "was it worth it to come all this way and only go to Walmart?" So in yesterday's excursion, we left at 7:30 a.m. with plans of being back in time to thow frozen pizzas in the oven for dinner. What I forgot to mention earlier is that you rarely make a trip by yourself. Car pooling is the most economical choice with gas at $3.69 a gallon and driving the gas hogging, 4wd vehicle these mountains require. No one, besides myself, has less than 2 kiddos which leaves you with numerous car seats to buckle, hands to hold, behinds to wipe, mouths to feed, naps to avoid or achieve and fights to break up. And, of course, they never all need the same thing at the same time. Yesterday was no exception (I wish I could say it was). I rode with my next door neighbor who has 3 kids ages 3, 1 and 5 months.

We pile in the suburban at 7:30, make 2 potty stops and make it to Montrose in good time. Great start to the day. We make our first stop at the speech therapy center for the 3 year old and 2 of the 4 kids are screaming with Ethan to follow moments later when he slams a hand in the door. I am on the phone with my doctor discussing my fat needle biopsy when this occurs. So now I have 3 screaming kids (sarah and her son are inside) and blood going everywhere. Next we go to the first store and the 1 year old has a blow out diaper. I mean everywhere. So now we are searching for clothes for the little girl who is in her diaper. eventually we end up going to walmart, finding clothes and going to the park for lunch. We thought this would be great for the kids, however, no one wants to play due to the 90 plus degree weather and they are all complaining instead. More nursing, bottom wiping and crying happens here. We finally make it to Walmart where we notice the 3 year old has a total blow out diaper too. (notice the trend?) Obviously there is a bug going through the truck and the question is who is going to get it next? 2 hours, a massive headache and several trips to the bathroom later, we make it out of there with intentions of hitting starbucks and going home. In time for supper right? We get our starbucks and find the kids hungry. Start heading to Mc Donalds and Malachi is about to throw up. We stop for dramamine, Papa Murphy's for supper and then waiting in line at McDonald's drive thru when my doctor calls back. Now we are up for ordering but I am on the phone. We pull out of line, go back in when the call is done, order food. Ethan has to go to the bathroom and upon returning, Sarah says her kids need changing. It is at this point decide we are just going to go in. A quick run through the drive thru turns into an hour event of diapers, nursing and playing. At 6:45 PM our visit to Montrose is over as we pull out of town. 2 hours more and we are finally back home with a kitchen full of groceries to unpack. Actually when I look back at it, 13 hours for groceries isn't too bad. It HAS been worse!!!